STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1661-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2478

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2478, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to update the scope of practice for chiropractors to reflect standards of care, practices, and terminology accepted by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.  

The Board of Chiropractic Examiners; Hawaii State Chiropractic Association; Healing Hands Chiropractic; Pukalani Chiropractic Inc.; Wasserman Chiropractic Inc.; Back In Action Chiropractic, Inc.; Klein Natural Health and Wellness Center; American Chiropractic Association; and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii Medical Association, and Hawaii Insurers Council testified in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language that would have allowed chiropractors to use any method of examination for diagnosis and analysis taught by an accredited chiropractic college and approved by the Board of Chiropractic Examiners;

     (2)  Restoring the prohibition on the use of the terms "physician" and "chiropractic physician" by a chiropractic licensee;

     (3)  For chiropractic treatments, specifying the number of treatments and treatment cost rate and number of x-rays and x-ray cost rate allowed under the Workers' Compensation Law;

     (4)  Changing its effective date to December 21, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2478, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2478, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair